"Parents 'left hamstrung' by school after it tells them to buy their children iPads"

mrcow

Treevo wrote: »

And parents aren't being expected to buy anything. The school has a number of iPads for use by pupils. Just like it would have a number of laptops - which is apparently completely acceptable to you.

Yes they are.
Have you read the opening post?

mrcow

samnkids wrote: »

No , i dont think that at all ... whiteboards were in use when i got out of teaching 15 years ago..i'm sure this old technology still has a place somewhere :rotfl:

How is an interactive whiteboard "old technology"?

[Deleted User]

365days wrote: »

Bit off topic but isn't the internet a collection of information from everywhere? A broader 'everywhere' than any school could ever offer.

Broad source of information with limited accuracy..

moomoomama27

365days wrote: »

Bit off topic but isn't the internet a collection of information from everywhere? A broader 'everywhere' than any school could ever offer.

Yes! I was referring to looking in books, being more hands on, rather than just pushing a button and googling everything!


My DD recently did a project on war and the best info she got was talking to relatives and going to the library and finding things out in a much more practical way! Yes no doubt alot of the info would have come up on a google search, but the motivation for learning, and the achievement she felt cannot be achieved in the same way when using an iPad!


I totally agree that technology has a big place in supporting learning, but having an iPad to source everything from IMHO is a disaster!

mrcow

moomoomama27 wrote: »

Yes! I was referring to looking in books, being more hands on, rather than just pushing a button and googling everything!

A lot of children really struggle with finding information in a block of text or in an article/text book. It's a skill I teach a lot.

On the flip side, it's also quite worrying how some will believe anything and everything that they read on the internet (regardless of source). First google hit - that must be the correct answer!

Treevo

skintchick wrote: »

Treevo - no-one is saying they don;t want children to learn how to use technology; they are saying they don;t think children need to have expensive computers in place of a text book in a classroom situation, and also saying that the school asking all parents to buy one for all children is out of order and inappropriate.

My DD knows very well how to use technology even aged 3, but I have no intention of buying her a phone or a computer.

That's exactly what some are saying. And it flies in the face of reality. When these kids enter work, does anyone think they'll be sat looking up information in a text book? Or will they be online? Working primarily with all kinds of technology?

And actually, iPads aren't that expensive for what you're getting in situations like this. £315 for a 16GB iPad 3 compared to £400 plus for a laptop that doesn't have any of the benefits of an iPad. Benefits that parents have been banging on about wanting for years, but because Apple's introduced them, some aren't happy.

My five year old niece has an iPad and she's a whizz on it. She's the brightest in her class by far and spends an hour every evening 'playing' with it. The educational tools are second to none.

A woman I taught last year has a child with developmental delays and she had an iPad provided to her by a Government scheme. Her daughter is doing amazing. That 'useless whim' did more to help her than the so-called specialists had done since she was diagnosed.

[Deleted User]

God knows how children were educated before the Internet, mobile phones and digital white boards..

moomoomama27

mrcow wrote: »

A lot of children really struggle with finding information in a block of text or in an article/text book. It's a skill I teach a lot.

On the flip side, it's also quite worrying how some will believe anything and everything that they read on the internet (regardless of source). First google hit - that must be the correct answer!

It's shocking isn't it! I work in a school and the amount of students who source info from wiki is unbelievable!

Treevo

mrcow wrote: »

A lot of children really struggle with finding information in a block of text or in an article/text book. It's a skill I teach a lot.

On the flip side, it's also quite worrying how some will believe anything and everything that they read on the internet (regardless of source). First google hit - that must be the correct answer!

The fault for that lies in past teaching methods. Handing a child a book and telling them all the answers are in there leads to them thinking that if it's in a book then it must be true.

We should be teaching children critical thinking skills alongside comprehension in Key Stage 2.

daisiegg

Sixth formers at my school are given iPads. So far, in my subject, we have discovered ABSOLUTELY no use for them - in fact they have been more of a hindrance than a help.

I admit though that they may be great for other subjects but they are not just blanket amazing.

For information, I am writing this right now on my iPad, which I would not be without - so I am not prejudiced or against technology or anything like that! They are just absolutely no use in teaching/studying my subject.